A/N: We are almost at the end! So, so, so, very close! I'm fairly sure that tomorrow's chapter will be the last chapter...sad, but nice at the same time. Another story completed. Anyway, seeing as how we haven't quite crossed the finish line yet...let's continue...
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.
Chapter 18
Anariel sat tall on her horse between Legolas and Gandalf at the front lines of their army of only five hundred. Aragorn was wearing the white tree of Gondor, looking every bit the king he was. Anariel smiled slightly. Arwen would be so proud of him.
They were about half a mile from the towering black gates of Mordor. Silence rang through the air, and Anariel began to shift in her saddle. Where were they?
"Where are they?" Pippin whispered, voicing her thoughts.
Anariel and Gandalf exchanged a wary look. Anariel's eyes studied the daunting black gate before her. All was hauntingly quiet, far from what it should be. Anariel looked at Legolas, who was also alertly scanning the intimidating black gate of Mordor. Legolas met her gaze and for a moment they simply stared into each other's eyes. Both knew that this could possibly be it…the end. Admittedly, they were on a fool's errand. All of their hopes rested on two hobbits.
Hobbits. Creatures of astounding strength…yet it was not physical. Their hearts were strong. Loyalty. Love. Kindness. Anariel could only hope that Frodo and Sam were on their way to Mount Doom. She could only hope that they still had that strength. She could only hope that Sam was there to be the rock that Frodo needed. She could only hope that Frodo had the will to conquer the ring. She could only hope.
Anariel saw Gandalf nod at Aragorn, and Aragorn spurred his horse into a gallop. Anariel, Legolas and Gimli, Gandalf and Pippin, and Eomer and Merry followed the unofficial King of Gondor. They pulled up when they were fifty yards from the gate.
"Let the lord of the black land come forth!" Aragorn called. "Let justice be done upon him!"
From behind the gates, Anariel and the others began to hear the clanging of metal, and the chants of thousands. With a massive, chilling screech of tortured metal, the black gates began to open, and Anariel watched as a single rider emerged.
He was truly hideous. His mouth was the only part of his face you could see, and Anariel couldn't help the disgusted look on her face. Hideous.
"My master, Sauron the Great, bids thee welcome," he said in a gravelly voice.
Anariel looked to Aragorn, who seemed nonplussed. She looked to Legolas, who was glaring at the rider mercilessly. The others seemed to be torn between disgust and shock.
"Is there any of you wrought with the authority to treat with me?" the messenger asked.
"We do not come to treat with Sauron, faithless and accursed. Tell your master this: The armies of Mordor must disband. He is to depart these lands, never to return," Gandalf said seriously.
The messenger seemed to scoff fondly, "Oh, Greybeard. I have a token I was bidden to show thee…"
Anariel watched as the messenger held up Frodo's mithril shirt. Her stomach dropped. No…no, no, no, no…
"Frodo…" Pippin whispered horrified.
The orc tossed the mithril to Gandalf who caught it and looked at it disbelievingly.
"Frodo!" Merry cried.
"Silence," Gandalf said quickly.
"No!" Merry continued, ignoring the wizard.
"Silence," Gandalf repeated sternly, yet Anariel could see the great grief in his eyes.
"The Halfling was dear to thee, I see," the messenger said in a mocking voice. "Long did he suffer greatly at the hands of his host," the orc continued and Anariel was fighting the moisture that was beginning to well in her eyes.
"Who would have thought that one so small could endure so much pain…and he did Gandalf. He did," the orc continued mercilessly.
Anariel looked to Gandalf and could see the tears beginning to form in his eyes also. Legolas was still glaring at the messenger, though Anariel could see the grief in the glare. Gimli was in a state of disbelief and both Merry and Pippin had tears sliding down their cheeks.
"Awe," the messenger mocked as Gandalf hung his head.
Anariel was startled when she saw Aragorn urge Brego forward towards the messenger. "And who is this? Isilur's heir?"
Aragorn said nothing.
"It takes more than a King and a broken Elvish blade to—," the messenger began, but he was silenced as Aragorn drew his blade and beheaded the messenger.
Anariel simply raised her eyebrows. "Guess that concludes negotiations," Gimli mumbled and Anariel couldn't help but smirk.
"I do not believe it!" Aragorn said heatedly. "I will not!"
The gates began to open and Anariel could see the thousands upon thousands of orcs that were marching towards them. "Pull back!" Aragorn said hastily turning Brego around. "Pull back!"
Anariel turned Hasufel around and raced back to the front lines. She saw the terrified looks on the soldier's faces, but she didn't blame them. She was shaking, but there was a steely resolve in her eye. She was going to fight until her last breath.
"Hold your ground!" Aragorn ordered as the men started to take steps back. "Hold your ground!" he repeated as he started to ride in front of the army. "Sons of Gondor—of Rohan…my brothers!" he yelled as he seemed to fix every soldier with his gaze.
"I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. The day may come when the courage of men fails; when we shall forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day—an hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the Age of Men comes crashing down—but it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth—I bid you stand!" Aragorn commanded and Anariel smiled proudly at her friend's words.
Aragorn raised Anduril aloft, "Men of the West!
From beside Legolas, Anariel heard Gimli whisper quietly. "I never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an Elf."
Anariel smiled sadly. The relationship between Legolas and Gimli was so opposite of what it once had been. Anariel herself would never have believed that one of Legolas' dear friends would end up being a Dwarf…though the same had become true to her.
"What about side by side with a friend?" Legolas asked quietly.
Gimli glanced from Legolas to Anariel and smiled softly, "Aye—I suppose I could do that."
Legolas put a hand on Gimli's shoulder and together they turned to face the enemy. However, Legolas turned his head to look at Anariel, who grabbed his hand and held it tightly. They simply stared into the other's eyes like an approaching army of death that surrounded them did not exist.
"I love you," Legolas said softly.
Anariel grinned. "How did I get so lucky?" she said before adding seriously. "I love you too Legolas…always."
They both turned to the sight before them and stood still as the orcs continued to advance. Aragorn turned around to face them, and looked into the eyes of the remaining fellowship members. "For Frodo," he said quietly before turning and charging towards the orcs, sword raised.
There was a silence for a moment and no one moved until a shout rang through the air, and Merry and Pippin followed after Aragorn. Anariel exchanged a glance with Legolas before both of them raced after the hobbits and Aragorn…the army behind them following.
Anariel met the first orc she came to with her sword. Legolas was firing arrows left and right. Gimli was wielding his axe with such force and precision that Anariel was glad that she was his friend. Eomer was taking heads like a man possessed, and Aragorn was slashing at anything that moved.
Anariel parried a blow, and dealt her own, stabbing the orc through the heart. She only barely had time to withdraw her blade to block another blow that would have ended her. Yet, she saw something silver come towards her head.
Suddenly, an arrow flew right by her ear and hit the orc that was sneaking up behind her. Anariel looked wide-eyed to see Legolas nod slightly before he focused on the orcs that surrounded him. Anariel too returned to slashing and stabbing and beheading any orc that came near her.
It continued on like that and Anariel had finally fought her way to Legolas. They fought back to back, and together were a very good team. Anariel saw an orc launch himself at Legolas, and before Legolas could do anything, Anariel threw her dagger at the orc and watched as it hit the creature right between the eyes. Anariel hurriedly retrieved the dagger before resuming the fight.
Over the cries of the battle, Anariel heard Pippin. "The eagles! The eagles are coming!"
A second later, a screech rang through the air and Anariel looked up to see an eagle attack one of the Nazgul. More and more appeared, and Anariel grinned before fighting with renewed vigor. However, soon Anariel began to feel the ground beneath her tremble, and she looked to see that a troll was making its way towards Aragorn.
"Legolas!" she cried, and he turned to see the troll advancing on Aragorn. Instantly, he began to fight his way towards his friend, and Anariel stayed at his back, killing anything that tried to harm him.
However, it was slow going and they were being pulled in all different directions. Her stomach dropped when she heard Legolas yell anxiously, "Aragorn!"
Anariel fought harder, ignoring the worry that plagued her mind. Suddenly, she heard what almost seemed to be like an anguished cry in the air. She and Legolas both turned and looked at the Eye. It seemed to be shaking…then it began to crumble.
Anariel watched as the tower began to fall to the ground, crumbling to pieces, creating billows of ash and dust. She watched in amazement as the fire of the Eye slowly began to fade into nothing, before it exploded, sending a wave of energy through the air. Anariel simply stared as the black gates of Mordor crumbled. Dust and rock flew in all directions and the orcs that surrounded them began to run in fright as the very ground beneath them began to give way.
Anariel looked towards Mount Doom and her amazement turned to misery as she saw the exploding volcano…Frodo and Sam would never survive. They had won…but they had also lost.
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